Manny Pacquiao during his first day back to training for his Dec. 8th fight against Juan Manuel Marquez, their fourth battle against each other. / Jake Roth, USA TODAY Sports

by Jon Saraceno, USA TODAY Sports

by Jon Saraceno, USA TODAY Sports

The popular Filipino renaissance man is a pugilist and a politician who embraces wildly divergent careers while serving as inspiration in each.

Outside an otherwise-inconspicuous shopping plaza off Vine Street, the famous fighter they call "Pac-Man'' is gobbled up quickly by a swarm of well-wishers, a common occurrence when the welterweight trains at the Wild Card Boxing Club.

It is a rather incongruous sight - the 5-6, 147-pound fighter, always down to earth and accessible, sliding into the cockpit of a 562-horsepower dream.
His everyman's persona persuades JG Puzon, a native of the Philippines, to wait hours outside of Pacquiao's memorabilia shop in order to meet the national hero.

It is rare when an active athlete - much less an international superstar - also acts as a public servant.

Pacquiao is an elected member of the House of Representatives in the province of Sarangani, located on the southern tip of Mindanao Island.
So many have placed so much faith and trust in him.

"I'm not really into (boxing), but his charisma rallies our nation,'' Puzon says. "He has this quality about him - humble and proud at the same time. He is a one-of-a-kind athlete. To me, no one has matched his record, whether in the ring or in his public life. I'm very much aware of what's happening back home in Congress and how he does his work. No pretensions, just genuine (concern).''

Says Pacquiao: "I became a politician to serve - not to be served.''

Much remains at stake for the humble, soft-spoken 33-year-old in the twilight of his boxing career, in and out the ring. Lance Armstrong's recent topple from the public pedestal was a stark reminder for Pacquiao regarding how quickly a hard-earned reputation can disintegrate - particularly when it involves the subject of steroids.

On the surface, the disgraced American cycling icon and the celebrated fighter appear to have little in common, except perhaps for this: For years, Armstrong and Pacquiao were dogged by rumor and allegation that they illegally doped in order to achieve greatness, which they deny.

Last month, Armstrong was stripped of seven Tour de France triumphs and banned for life after the United States Anti-Doping Agency concluded he used performance-enhancing drugs. Sponsors fled Armstrong, despite the enormous goodwill he generated as an anti-cancer crusader.

"When I think about (Armstrong) . . . that is why I never have used drugs like steroids for my career,'' Pacquiao tells USA TODAY Sports. "Why use illegal drugs - steroids - and ruin your name? You can't be proud if you are using performance-enhancing (substances) when you're on top. It's kind of cheating the people and your opponent. You can be successful without using. If you use, you don't believe 100% in yourself.''

While on the downside of a remarkable 18-year career, Pacquiao repeatedly has demonstrated a peerless work ethic. It has produced world championships in an unprecedented eight different weight classes. No fighter in history has gone from being a flyweight champion (112-pound limit) to a super welterweight champion (154).

Still a formidable puncher in the ring, it appears Pacquiao's greatest impact could be in the political arena after he retires from boxing. That is when his toughest fight continues - grappling with issues in the Philippines that include extreme poverty and hunger, education, inadequate health care and human trafficking.

"He not only is a gifted athlete, he also has a gift of the spirit in him,'' says Marlon Beof, associate pastor at Mary Star of the Sea Catholic parish in Oxnard, Calif., and a friend of the fighter. "You see how many people love him. He has an aura about him - not only as an athlete but as a person.''

With global acclaim and his legacy as a fighter assured, Pacquiao, 33, possesses political aspirations that extend beyond his current role. He plans to run for governor of his province in 2016, a move that might one day lead to his candidacy for president.

"I want to be a good, honest public servant,'' Pacquiao says. "I want to help people with their everyday needs. I have felt what (many Filipinos) are feeling because I have been there. Boxing is a sport where you hurt people. In politics, you serve them.''

Bob Arum has promoted Pacquiao exclusively since 2007, and has examined why the fighter resonates as a major pay-per-view television attraction. One reason, of course, is Pacquiao's ring acumen. Another, says Arum, is what the fighter symbolizes to the masses. Pacquiao's father abandoned the family when Pacquiao was a young boy.

"He gives third-world people the feeling that they can advance,'' Arum says. "This is a kid who sold candy on the streets of Manila, who had to fight his way against all the other hungry Filipinos. He taught himself (English) and he ran for Congress. His is an unbelievable story - something even a huckster like me couldn't make up.''

A high-school dropout who was raised in grinding poverty, Pacquiao's stated net worth is about $25 million - more than Imelda Marcos, widow of former President Ferdinand Marcos and currently a member of the Philippine legislature.

"He's not just famous - he helps everyone back home (because) we hear of his good deeds,'' says Marizi Ibe, a Filipino fan of the fighter who lives in Los Angeles.

Pacquiao's reputation for philanthropy and charity is such that trainer Freddie Roach says that, "My biggest concern with Manny is that he might give it all way. He is that generous.''

Preserving status and legacy are important to Pacquiao, who in the last year has sold his nightclubs, stopped gambling and recommitted to his marriage and four children. He reads the Bible daily.

"I buried the old Manny Pacquiao,'' he says.

Pacquiao was relieved when his defamation lawsuit against unbeaten welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Golden Boy Promotions - they intimated in 2009 that Pacquiao used performance-enhancing drugs - was settled in September. At the time, the fighters were negotiating for a mega-bout. It never materialized.

Pacquiao, who never has flunked a post-fight urinalysis, was coming off a 12th-round stoppage of Miguel Cotto the previous month. At the time, the boxing community was rife with rumor regarding the Filipino's startling physique, which was ripped with bodybuilding-style muscles and softball-sized calves.

Pacquiao understands that perceptions - and suspicions - linger. At one point, even Roach couldn't help but wonder. The trainer tells USA TODAY Sports that he was "worried'' about his fighter's striking physical changes.

"(I said), 'What are you giving Manny?' '' Roach says he asked Ariza.

Roach ultimately concluded that, "Manny's not the type of guy who would (take performance-enhancing drugs),'' he says. "Rice is his steroid - if he doesn't have it, he can't work out.''

It was Roach who had recommended in 2008 that Pacquiao hire Ariza as the fighter moved up in weight, particularly to prepare for his fight against De La Hoya the following year. De La Hoya, battered and fatigued, quit after the eighth round.

"When your body never has been introduced to the proper way of doing things, your body is going to make dramatic changes,'' Ariza says.

"Everyone was suspicious of Manny when I got him,'' he says. "The way we were hitting (his calves), they just blew (up) at an accelerated rate. He has naturally strong legs but we started doing more explosive movements'' with plyometric exercises.

To this day, Pacquiao says, "(The accusations of steroid use) didn't bother me. In my heart, I know and I believe, I have used nothing.''